DANIEL, HOLOGRAPHIS SYSTEMATICS OF HOLOGRAPHIS (ACANTHACEAE) THOMAS F. DANIEL MEXICAN ACANTHACEAE have received little taxonomic attention since Stand-ley's treatment included in his Trees and Shrubs of Mexico (1926). As a resultof field work associated with several floristic projects and the efforts of numer-ous individual collectors, the number of collections of Mexican Acanthaceaehas greatly increased during the five decades since Standley's flora was pub-lished. However, there have been no comprehensive studies of Holographis orof the genera here considered congeneric with it. Work on these genera hasbeen limited to regional floristic treatments and descriptions of new taxa. In the present treatment, the relationships of two genera recognized by Stand-ley and subsequent workers and a third, more recently described genus arediscussed. Both Berginia Harvey ex Bentham & Hooker and Lundellia Leonardare considered to be congeneric with the older genus Holographis Nees. Inaddition to the new combinations in Holographis, three species from Mexicoare described as new to science. This study also presents information on aspectsof the ecogeography and phenology of the species. Holographis comprises ten species of shrubby perennials that are confinedto arid and semiarid habitats in Mexico. Most species are restricted in theirdistribution and are known from relatively few collections. The genus is char-acterized by the following combination of characters: spicate inflorescences, afive-parted calyx, a relatively small, strongly zygomorphic corolla, four mono-thecous stamens of approximately equal length, pubescent thecae that lack anyappendages, a short staminode, and an ellipsoid capsule bearing four seeds. Inaddition, the plants lack cystoliths, and all but three of the species have whorledleaves. TAXONOMIC HISTORY AND INTRAFAMILIAL RELATIONSHIPS Based on a Mexican collection of Ehrenberg, Nees described the genus Holo-graphis and the species II. ehrenbergiana Nees in the supplement to his treat-ment of the Acanthaceae in De Candolle's Prodromus (1847). He placed thegenus in tribe Gendarusseae subtribe Gendarusseae "section" Pseudo-Aphe-landreae and noted affinities with Hemigraphis Nees. Bentham and Hooker(1876) described the genus Berginia based on a Coulter collection from NorthAmerica. The genus was placed in tribe Justicieae subtribe Asystasieae, andaffinities with Stenandrium Nees were noted. Bentham and Hooker did notsee any material of Holographis, but based on Nees's description they includedthat genus in tribe Justicieae subtribe Eujusticieae, where it was grouped withc President and Fellows of Harvard College, 1983.Journal of the Arnold Arboretum 64: 129-160. January, 1983.1983]
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